Listening and watching

A bullfrog peeks out of a pond of duckweed. A bare tree stands in the fog, staining a world of white. The blue lights in the squares of High Trestle Trail illuminate a starless night.

These are some of the captured sights available in Creston Arts Gallery’s new photography exhibit, “At Home in Iowa’s Parks.” All photos were taken by the couple Gary and Kathleen Hoard, who between them have 70 years of experience photographing the natural world which is not too far away.

“[Some people] don’t realize the beauty there is,” Gary said. “Even in Des Moines, they see things and think, ‘I’ve never seen Des Moines look this beautiful before.’”

The two photographers are native Iowans, residing in Madrid. Gary’s 50 years of experience behind the lens has given him countless opportunities to get closer to the natural world.

“I spend a lot of time outside,” he said. “I usually bring a camera along with me and just enjoy being out, enjoying nature. Sometimes I get photos, sometimes I don’t, but it’s all kind of a challenge being out there in nature.”

Kathleen says she focuses more on landscapes rather than wilderness. Her photos in the gallery have attention to floral areas and dynamic color. One picture, titled “Summer Flowers,” shows a foreground of pink flowers and a blurred background of blues. She credits a lot of what she knows to Gary, as well as organizing and curating selections from the photographs they both take.

Each photograph displayed in the exhibit is tagged with their location, each a part of Iowa’s land and wilderness. One photo, a belted kingfisher perched on a branch, is labeled with the specific park and county it was taken, Brenton Slough, Dallas County.

Since his first camera, a Kodak Brownie capturing on film, Gary has navigated and adapted to new technology, eventually swapping to digital capture. Yet, nature is still Gary’s favorite subject.

“I’ve spent a lot of time with nature,” he said. “Part of my love for photography comes from my dad; he was a naval photographer stationed at Pearl Harbor the day it was attacked... I learned a lot about photography from him.”

To get as close to nature as possible, Gary and Kathleen have constructed a backyard and garden perfect for inviting wildlife, such as enticing Iowa birds to take a break at one of many birdfeeders. Local parks became hotspots for the two.

Traveling to an area for photos bring about a plan and a location but still requires patience. Gary knows navigating the wilderness requires a calm attitude. With a background in hunting, he knows the best ways to approach for the perfect shot.

“I used to be a hunter,” he said. “I used to go out and do pheasant, quail hunting and all that. At one point, the guns went away. I switched to a camera and never looked back. The thrill is there to find the animals, but it’s a lot more enjoyable to get the image.”

Over his career, Gary has grown closer to the subjects he’s captured on camera. He’s participated in bird counts and learned migration routes of several species of birds. In the end, photographing nature requires a close connection with it.

“It’s listening and watching, seeing things and learning,” Gary said.